Dalmusternock, East Ayrshire

Dalmusternock
	Fenwick, East Ayrshire, Scotland ; UK grid reference NS455417
	Dalmusternock Farm
	Dalmusternock
Coordinates	55°38′39″N4°27′19″W / 55.6441°N 4.4554°W
Site information
Owner	Private
Controlled by	Mure family
Open to; the public	No
Condition	Occupied
Site history
Built	17th century
Built by	Mures
In use	Remodelled in the 19th century
Materials	stone

Last updated September 11, 2019

Dalmusternock (NS455417) was a dower house built and occupied by William Mure after his marriage and prior to inheriting the family seat of Rowallan Castle. The property is located near Fenwick, in the Barony of Rowallan, lying 3 miles north of Kilmarnock and 18 miles south of Glasgow, Parish of Fenwick, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The estate is recorded as Dalmunsternoch circa 1654;^[1] Dalmasternock circa 1747;^[2] Dalmusterknok 1775^[3]

On an English, Scottish or Welsh estate, a dower house is usually a moderately large house available for use by the widow of the previous owner of the estate. The widow, often known as the "dowager", usually moves into the dower house from the larger family house on the death of her husband if the heir is married, and upon his marriage if he was single at his succession. The new heir occupies the now vacated principal house.

Sir William Mure of Rowallan (1594–1657) was a Scottish writer and politician, and prominent member of the Clan Muir.

Rowallan Castle is an ancient castle located near Kilmaurs, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The castle stands on the banks of the Carmel Water, which may at one time have run much closer to the low eminence upon which the original castle stood, justifying the old name Craig of Rowallan. Elizabeth Mure was mistress and then wife of Robert, High Steward of Scotland, and Guardian of Scotland, who later became King Robert II of Scotland. She may have been born at Rowallan.

History

The Lands of Dalmusternock

In 1615 the poet Sir William Mure of Rowallan Castle married Anna Dundas, the daughter of the laird of Newliston, an estate located near Edinburgh. William was the son of Elizabeth Montgomerie, sister of the well known poet Alexander Montgomerie of Hessilhead Castle near Beith. In 1643 William Mure was a member of the Scottish parliament through which the Solemn League and Covenant was ratified with England and took part in the English campaign of 1644. He fought and was wounded at the Battle of Marston Moor, shortly after commanding a regiment at Newcastle.

Newliston is a country house near Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located 1 mile (1.6 km) south-west of Kirkliston, and 8 miles (13 km) west of the city centre. The house, designed by Robert Adam in the late 18th century, is a category A listed building. The 18th-century gardens, inspired by the French formal style, are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland, the listing of nationally significant gardens. Newliston is within the City of Edinburgh council area and the historic county of West Lothian.

Alexander Montgomerie Scottish courtier and poet

Alexander Montgomerie was a Scottish Jacobean courtier and poet, or makar, born in Ayrshire. He was one of the principal members of the Castalian Band, a circle of poets in the court of James VI in the 1580s which included the king himself. Montgomerie was for a time in favour as one of the king's "favourites". He was a Catholic in a largely Protestant court and his involvement in political controversy led to his expulsion as an outlaw in the mid-1590s.

Hessilhead human settlement in United Kingdom

Hessilhead is in Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Hessilhead used to be called Hazlehead or Hasslehead. The lands were part of the Lordship of Giffen, and the Barony of Hessilhead, within the Baillerie of Cunninghame and the Parish of Beith. The castle was situated at grid reference NS380532.

As a first home or dower house he built Dalmusternock in 1615 for although he was the eldest son he had not as yet inherited the family properties and would not do so until 1639. Dalmusternock is in an attractive location on the Fenwick Water within easy reach of the family seat at Rowallan Castle. The coat of arms of Sir William and his wife are still located above the entrance door. The 1615 date of his marriage is carved on a stone to the right of the doorway with the initials A. D. for his wife Anna Dundas on a stone to the left.^[4]

Five sons and six daughters came of this first marriage, namely William who succeeded, Captain Allexander who was killed fighting rebels in Ireland, Major Robert who married Lady Newhall in Fife, John of Fenwickhill and Patrick, who in 1662 was created a baronet of Nova Scotia. Only one daughter, Elizabeth, reached maturity and married Uchter Knox, Laird of Ranfurly. His first wife Anna died comparatively young and Sir William then married Dame Jane Hamilton, Lady Duntreth, having two sons, James and Hugh and two daughters, Jeane and Marion from this union.^[5]

Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime Provinces, and one of the four provinces that form Atlantic Canada. Its provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the second-smallest of Canada's ten provinces, with an area of 55,284 square kilometres (21,300 sq mi), including Cape Breton and another 3,800 coastal islands. As of 2016, the population was 923,598. Nova Scotia is Canada's second-most-densely populated province, after Prince Edward Island, with 17.4 inhabitants per square kilometre (45/sq mi).

Ranfurly is a small settlement on the southern edge of the village of Bridge of Weir, which lies within the Gryffe Valley in the council area and historic county of Renfrewshire in the West-Central Lowlands of Scotland.

In 1616 his father inherited the family estates and in 1639 he in turn inherited at which point he moved to Rowallan Castle and Dalmusternock remained as a small dower house before its final transition to a farmhouse.^[6]

Dobie records that it was the property of the Marquis of Hastings and by 1874 it was part of the Barony of Rowallan then held by the Earl of Loudoun.^[7] As stated it was used as a dower house by the Mures of nearby Rowallan Castle although it is not recorded as to which members of the family lived there.^[8] Three heraldic panels are inserted, one with a date of 1671. It was remodelled as a farmhouse in the 19th century.^[9]

Earl of Loudoun, named after Loudoun in Ayrshire, is a title in the Peerage of Scotland. It was created in 1633 for John Campbell, 2nd Lord Campbell of Loudoun, along with the subsidiary title Lord Tarrinzean and Mauchline. The 1st Earl's wife Margaret was the granddaughter and heiress of Hugh Campbell, who had been created Lord Campbell of Loudoun; he resigned the peerage in favour of his grandson-in-law, who was later created an earl.

A watermill of some sort was located at Dalmusternock in the 19th century as indicated by the lade, sluice and mill pond shown on OS maps of the time.^[10]^[11] Hugh Robertson was farming 129 acres at Dalmusternock in 1851 showing that the dower house had been remodelled by this time.^[12]

Bessie Dunlop of the Lynn

Bessie Dunlop of Lynn near Dalry recalled at her trial for witchcraft that a meeting with her 'familiar' Thomas Reid at a place known as the 'Thorn of Dawmstarnik.' This was probably Dalmusternock as it lies on the Stranraer to Glasgow road via Kilmarnock that would have been a busy thoroughfare which Bessie might well have used.^[13] Thomas offered her great rewards if she would deny her Christian faith however Bessie refused and Thomas was very displeased however she said that she would take his advice on lesser matters.^[14] Bessie Dunlop was burned at the stake in Edinburgh as a witch in 1576.

Cartographic evidence

Pont's map of circa 1600 shows a small wooded estate surrounded by a fence or pale.^[15] Moll's 1725 map shows the Glasgow to Stranraer road running close to Dalmusternock.^[16] Roys map of 1747 shows Dalmasternock (sic) lying close to the Glasgow to Stranraer Road and a dwelling known as 'Stepends' which may relate to stepping stones across the Mathernock (later Fenwick) Water.^[17] The 1856 OS map shows a long lade running upstream and a sluice that suggests a waterwheel.^[18] The 1895 OS records a mill pond in addition to the other noted features.^[19]

Micro-history

In 1684 John Kirkland and Thomas Rainie are listed as Covenanters on the fugitives roll as living at Dalmusterlock.^[20]

James Miller, son to Mathew Miller and Mary Smith of Dalmusternock was buried in Fenwick cemetery on Tuesday, 1 August 1749.^[21] Sara Steill of Dalmusternock was buried on Monday, June 24, 1723.^[22]

In March 1851 Hugh Robertson, aged 36, was farming 129 acres at Dalmusternock.^[23]

Dalmusternock is a Category B Listed Building.

Related Research Articles

Stewarton is a town in East Ayrshire, Scotland. In comparison to the neighbouring towns of Kilmaurs, Fenwick, Dunlop and Lugton, it is a relatively large town, with a population of over 6,500. It is 300 feet above sea level. The town is served by Stewarton railway station.

Perceton is a medieval settlement and old country estate in North Ayrshire, Scotland, near the town of Irvine. The ruined church in Perceton is one of the oldest buildings in the Irvine district. The earliest legible gravestone dates from 1698, though older stone coffins will certainly still rest deep within the small hillock on which the chapel and graveyard sit.

Cunninghamhead is a hamlet in North Ayrshire, Scotland. It was the centre of the lands of Cunninghamhead, Perceton and Annick Lodge in Cunninghame. This mainly rural area is noted for its milk and cheese production and the Ayrshire, Cunninghame or Dunlop breed of cattle.

Lugton hamlet in East Ayrshire, Scotland

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Busbie Castle village in the United Kingdom

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Hessilhead Loch or Hazelhead Loch was situated in a low-lying area near the old Castle of Hessilhead in the Parish of Beith, North Ayrshire, Scotland. The old loch, used in the defence of the castle, was probably infilled when the castle ruins were landscaped in the 19th century.

Polkelly Castle, also Pokelly, was an ancient castle located near Fenwick, at NS 4568 4524, in the medieval free Barony of Polkelly, lying north of Kilmarnock, Parish of Fenwick, East Ayrshire, Scotland. The castle is recorded as Powkelly (c1747), Pockelly (c1775), Pow-Kaillie, Ponekell, Polnekel, Pollockelly, Pollockellie, Pokellie, Pothelly, Pathelly Ha' and Polkelly. The name is given circa 1564 as Powkellie when it was held by the Cunninghams of Cunninghamhead.

The Murder of Hugh Montgomerie, 4th Earl of Eglinton at the Annick Ford in Stewarton, East Ayrshire, Scotland, took place in 1586 as a consequence of a long running feud between the Montgomeries, Earls of Eglinton and the Cunninghames, Earls of Glencairn, families who were competing for power and influence locally and nationally. The significant repercussions of this act were felt throughout the county of Ayrshire and beyond. The spelling 'Montgomerie' is used throughout for both the family and Montgomery for the clan and clan and district names 'Cunninghame' in the same fashion.

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References

Notes

Sources

Dobie, James D. (ed Dobie, J.S.) (1876). Cunninghame, Topographized by Timothy Pont 1604–1608, with continuations and illustrative notices. Glasgow : John Tweed.
Scott, Sir Walter (2001). Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft. The Folklore Society & Wordsworth Editions. ISBN 1-84022-511-4.